The NFL’s recent decision to maximize the presence of its games on traditional broadcast TV via 11-years deals with NBC, CBS, and FOX doesn’t mean that the league will avoid new technologies when it comes to delivering football content.
For the first time ever in the U.S., postseason games will be available for online viewing. The league announced today that the two wild-card games to be televised January 7 on NBC, as well as the Pro Bowl, will stream at NBCSports.com and NFL.com.
Oh, and that thing called the Super Bowl also will stream at NBCSports.com and NFL.com.
All of the NBC-televised postseason games will also be available on NFL Mobile only from Verizon.
NBC Postseason Extra will be modeled after Sunday Night Football Extra, which includes multiple, viewer-selected camera angles, tweets from NBC sideline reporter Michele Tafoya, and an in-game chat with a certain Internet hack with whom you may be familiar.
“With a heritage of streaming live NFL games since 2008, we are especially excited to now bring our unique and innovative SNF Extra video experience to the NFL Playoffs, Pro Bowl, and Super Bowl,” said Rick Cordella, Vice President & General Manager, NBC Sports Digital Media. “By adding multiple camera angles, HD-quality video, DVR controls along with social interactivity, our online streaming represents a compelling, second-screen experience that nicely complements NBC’s on-air presentation.”
Of course, for many of you who won’t have access to a TV during the wild-card games or the Pro Bowl or the Super Bowl, NBC Postseason Extra will be the only way to watch the game(s). Based on the comments that arrive at the Sunday night chat on a weekly basis, plenty of you will be relying on the online streaming as the only resource tuning in.
Then again, plenty of the comments also include this question: “How do we get Florio out of this thing?”
Unfortunately, you’ll have to deal with even more of me. Unlike an in-season Sunday night, which requires me to tap out from time to time and let Rosenthal take over, I’ll be locked and loaded (not that way) for all four of the games.
UPDATE 2:01 p.m. ET: For those of you asking, the streaming of the postseason games on NBCSports.com and NFL.com is free.